High school commended

SOMERSET — The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has recognized Somerset Berkley Regional High School as one of only 48 schools in the Commonwealth that have earned the status of a 2013 Commendation School because of the high progress that students at the school have made on the MCAS test.

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By GEORGE AUSTIN

southcoasttoday.com

By GEORGE AUSTIN

Posted Mar. 9, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By GEORGE AUSTIN

Posted Mar. 9, 2014 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

SOMERSET — The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has recognized Somerset Berkley Regional High School as one of only 48 schools in the Commonwealth that have earned the status of a 2013 Commendation School because of the high progress that students at the school have made on the MCAS test.

"This is, by far, about the students and the work they've done at the high school," Principal Jahmal Mosley said. "I'm proud of the students and how they perform. They took the MCAS seriously."

Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester informed Dr. Mosley that the high school had been named a Commendation School in a letter that he sent to him on Feb. 7.

As a model school, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education hopes the high school will serve as a model to other schools around Massachusetts for making progress on the MCAS test.

Dr. Mosley also attributed the success of the students to teachers, who have aligned curriculum and worked with rubrics, assistant administrators, the support of parents and the community, Interim Regional School Superintendent Thomas Lynch, the Somerset Berkley Regional School Committee, Lead Guidance Counselor Guy Poisson and guidance counselors.

"Without a collective effort, this would not have come to fruition," Dr. Mosley said. "I am very excited and humbled by this accomplishment."

Dr. Mosley said there were people behind the scenes, such as test proctors who helped provide an environment conducive to students being successful on the MCAS test, who were helping to organize test administration at the school so that parents would know what was going on with the high stakes exam. He said other students at the school who were not taking the test were respectful to those who were.

Ninety-eight percent of last year's sophomores at the high school scored proficient or higher on the English/language arts portion of the test. That was above the state average of 91 percent.

Students' scores on the MCAS test fall into four categories that include failing, needs improvement, proficient and advanced. In order to graduate from high school in the Commonwealth, students have to score in the proficient or advanced levels in English/language arts and mathematics and in the needs improvement level or higher in the science and physics portion of the test.

Ninety-two percent of students at Somerset Berkley Regional High School scored on the proficient level or above in mathematics on the MCAS test which is above the state average of 80 percent. The year before, 83 percent of the sophomores at the high school scored proficient or above in math.

Dr. Mosley said the school has MCAS preparatory classes. He said teachers have a tenacity in their approach to helping students learn that is seen in the homework they assign and the encouragement they give to students to ask questions in classes.

"The thing that I'm impressed with is the rigors that teachers expose student to, the high expectations they have for kids," Dr. Mosley said.

The school was sent a certificate for being named a Commendation School.

Dr. Mosley said the Commendation School honor captures one aspect of the high school's success. He said the others include a high graduate rate and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores that are above the national average.

He said he was not surprised by the recognition that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education gave to the school and repeatedly praised the students for their efforts.